


Shotgun

by helvel



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Not Really Mpreg, Other, caring for your parasite, pure fluff, step one: proper diet, step three: propose, step two: bath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 13:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16766026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helvel/pseuds/helvel
Summary: A guide to taking care of your symbiote during spawning season.





	Shotgun

Tuesday is going great, right up until Eddie has to duck into an alleyway to heave up his breakfast.

“Shit,” he mumbles, coughing to clear his throat. There was a period a few months back when this was happening on the regular, body struggling to adapt to the demands of a klyntar diet, but these days he’s got that figured out pretty well. A breakfast of Count Chocula cereal with chocolate milk and half an ultra-deluxe pizza on the side would make most humans sick, but it’s pretty standard fare for them. So what the hell is wrong with him?

Eddie coughs as another wave of nausea hits. Panting, he sags against the wall. “Ugh. Was it the anchovies?” he asks, hoping Venom has an answer. Anchovies are disgusting, they both agree on that, but something about those salty, shriveled fish bits had seemed irresistible this morning. 

“V, you in there?”

The only response from Venom is a little rumble that’s impossible to interpret beyond reassurance that Eddie isn’t alone in his head. Which, is great. But Eddie feels like shit and he doesn’t know why, and it would be better if his bodymate would poke around his insides and tell him if everything is okay.

“What’s wrong with me?” Eddie tries again.

**Nothing. You are perfect, Eddie.**

Eddie laughs. “Don’t try to be cute,” he says. 

A businessman is peering down the alley at them. Eddie’s hunched over, surrounded by garbage and the remains of his breakfast, apparently flirting with himself. He gives the businessman a little wave just to assure him that everything’s fine here, nothing to see, move along. 

In that moment of distraction, he hears it. Venom lets out the smallest, most pathetic little burble, like bubbles oozing up through sludge. 

Eddie blinks, because he’s never heard anything like that before. 

“Wait a minute,” he says, “It’s you! You’re the one who’s sick!”

**Am not.**

“Are too.” Eddie wipes his sweaty face with his sleeve. Seems like his other half has come down with something, and they’re both feeling the effects of it. What could affect a klyntar like that? Some kind of space flu?

**No. Not illness. This will pass. Do not worry about us.**

“Yeah, not buying that. I’ll- I’ll take care-“ 

What Eddie wants to say is that it’s his turn - Venom’s the one who’s always looking out for them, protecting Eddie’s body from the inside out, and Eddie’s going to take care of Venom as good as Venom always takes care of him. It’s a little difficult to get that out when he’s about to heave up the rest of his breakfast.

When the nausea eases up and they stagger out of the alley and into Mrs. Chen’s store, she sounds honestly shocked to say, “You look like shit.” 

And Eddie gets it, because everything has been so, so much better lately and it shows, but today he looks every bit as awful as he feels.

Eddie makes for the Pepto Bismol, but Mrs. Chen sits him down at the counter. “Stay here,” she says, and disappears into the back. Apparently the ability to bite someone’s head off is enough to make her trust them with watching the storefront for a few minutes.

The only other customer in the store is a mother with her toddler asleep on her shoulder. It takes Eddie a few moments to realize Venom is watching the kid through his eyes. 

“ _No,_ ” Eddie whispers, “No, no way, absolutely not-“

Venom harrumphs like Eddie’s told him that a hundred times before, which he has. **Just a little nibble…**

“ _No!_ ” Eddie yelps, too loud.

The mother glances at him for half a second before turning away, not wanting to get caught staring at the weird sweaty guy slumped against the counter. Eddie tries to look away from her and finds that he can’t. Venom’s still watching the kid through his eyes. The kid stirs, chubby little fingers tugging at her mother’s coat. It’s a relief to realized that Eddie feels none of the craving hunger that’s usually present when Venom’s eyeing up a snack. Instead there’s a hint of curiosity. 

Venom hums. **Human offspring are pathetic.**

It must seem that way to a klyntar. Eddie can’t say he fully understands their biology, but he’s under the impression that klyntar offspring are self-sufficient almost immediately after they spawn. Meanwhile, humans often spend the rest of their lives looking after their fleshy meat-sack children. Venom thinks it’s strange. Not bad, but strange. He’s fascinated. 

And suddenly, it all makes sense. The cravings. The nausea. Eddie puts together what he knows of klyntar biology, and what he knows of human biology, and realizes what’s going on. 

“Oh my god,” he says, “you’re pregnant!”

**Not pregnant. I’m preparing to spawn.**

Eddie’s too excited to care about the semantics right now. He can’t keep the grin off his face. “That’s great, V. Congratulations!”

**Congratulations.** Venom repeats the word like he doesn’t understand. It’s just biology. **Why?**

“Because you’re going to have a baby!”

**Spawn.**

“Whatever.” The growing spawn explains everything that’s suddenly flared up. His other half is with child and Eddie’s sharing the side effects. Eddie imagines nine-foot tall Venom with a hulking body and rows of sharp teeth and... a baby bump. Eddie laughs. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you’re pregnant!”

“Pregnant?”

Mrs. Chen stops to stare at them, cup of tea in her hands. They’re alone in the store now - the mother and child fled as soon as Eddie started talking to himself. Mrs. Chen is looking at him like he’s crazy too.

“It’s pregnant?” Mrs. Chen asks.

Eddie grins. “Yea-uh-“ A fresh wave of nausea washes over him, and Eddie sags, slumping back into the chair.

Mrs. Chen tuts and pushes the tea into his hands, not bothered when little black tendrils curl out around the mug to make sure Eddie doesn’t drop it. 

“Congratulations,” she says, flat as ever. 

As it turns out, Venom hates ginger tea, and Eddie has to fight off a gag reflex that has nothing to do with the nausea as he chokes it down. It really does help, though, and it’s not long before they’re feeling well enough to stand without spewing again. Mrs. Chen packs up their groceries and tries to be subtle as she slips in more ginger root and a pre-natal yoga DVD.

* * *

It’s been a rough day so far, and Eddie is more determined than ever to look after his other half. 

Eddie treats Venom to whatever the symbiote wants for lunch, which turns out to be fifty McNuggets dunked in ketchup and a Diet Coke. For supper, they have a guy they catch breaking into the alley-window of an apartment complex. Then the nausea hits again. Half of the guy comes back up, but at least Eddie doesn’t have to throw that up with his own mouth.

“ ** _Why_** _,_ ” Venom asks aloud, hunched over and panting, “ **do humans call it morning sickness when it lasts all day?** ”

Hell if Eddie knows. It’s not like he ever expected to be pregnant - or even sharing pregnancy symptoms. It’s times like this he’s reminded that he needs to give up the idea he still lives a normal life.

And honestly, he loves it. Right now he feels like his guts are about to turn inside out, but he loves it, because no one else could understand what it’s like being this close to someone, sharing _everything_ , knowing someone so deeply that they’re literally a part of you. No one else understands that but Venom. 

At home, Eddie chops the ginger and boils it like the wikiHow article tells him too. Venom keeps up a litany of grumbling the whole time, it’s **_gross_** and **_too spicy_** , but still demands Eddie drink it. 

Tired, sore, and still feeling a bit of the nausea seeping through from Venom, Eddie decides to treat his other half to one more indulgence tonight - a bath.

The low rumbling growl that Eddie has learned to equate with a purr starts as soon as he starts running the water. Eddie’s never been a fan of baths - he much prefers showers - but the rush of satisfaction from his other half as he sinks into the warm water is enough that he’s starting to change his mind. 

Venom oozes out of his skin and floats through the water like an oil spill. Black tendrils drift around Eddie on all sides. Eddie runs his hands through the water so the inky blackness cards between his fingers. Venom seems to enjoy that, so Eddie continues, happy to be able to provide some sort of comfort when Venom is feeling so miserable.

“Is it always this bad?” Eddie asks. “When you’re pregnant?”

Water sloshes over the edge of the tub as the inky dispersions swirl like a whirlpool for a moment. **Not pregnant.**

“Yeah, okay, I get it,” Eddie concedes.

**It’s not like this. Not before.**

Eddie’s stomach sinks, worse than any of the times they’ve heaved up their meals all day.

“Uh- everything’s okay? Isn’t it?”

**I would never wish to hurt you, Eddie.**

Eddie sits up and stares into the bath water around him, wishing there was more of Venom than drifting tendrils that he could focus his attention on. Venom can feel what he wants, but remains as shapeless swirls around him.

Panic rises in Eddie’s throat. “Babe, come on. You’re really starting to scare me here. You’d better tell me what’s wrong, or I’ll, I’ll...”

There’s no threat Eddie can think of. What’s he going to do? Deny his other half of tater tots, when they’re eating for three now? The thought of causing even the slightest hurt to his symbiote makes him feel sicker than he’s felt all day.

**It’s just like that.** Venom’s voice is a sad little burble again. **It’s the same thing, my love. It’s our bond. You feel this way because of...**

Eddie waits, but Venom doesn’t continue.

“That’s all you’re worried about?” Eddie asks with relief. “Sharing a bit of morning sickness?”

Venom makes a little harrumph again. It’s pretty cute.

Eddie runs his hands through the water, gathering up all the swirling bits until he’s able to lift a handful of goo from the water. It slowly oozes out between his fingers but Eddie lifts the goo to his face and places a soft kiss to the shiny surface. Tendrils cling to Eddie’s lips, hanging on to the kiss. 

“I’ll take care of us,” Eddie says. Hell, he’s lucky to do it. Gooey tentacles wrap around Eddie with a warmth that’s not unlike sinking into a bath. Finally, this idiot alien gets it.

**I heard that.**

Eddie shrugs. “What are you going to do about it?”

Another swirling whirlpool nearly sucks Eddie beneath the water’s surface, and he flails, clutching at the sides of the tub with slippery hands. It lasts half a second, but Eddie’s left panting with his heart racing.

“Not cool,” he complains.

**What are you going to do about it?**

Yeah, yeah. Venom’s knocked up and Eddie shouldn’t be teasing his love so much. The water gives another threatening swirl. Eddie grins this time. “Hey, V- what am I gonna be to your spawn? Like, an uncle?”

**No.**

“A mom?”

**You’re so stupid.**

****“Okay, then. A step-dad?”

**We would need to be married for that.**

“That’s true.” Eddie considers it. “Well, why don’t we, then?”

Nerves had nearly choked Eddie during his last proposal, but there’s none of that this time, no worries about finding the right time or the right place. He knows it’s right. He can feel it reflected back at him. 

Venom’s goo shifts and sinks into Eddie’s hands, until all that remains visible is a shiny black band around his ring finger. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Eddie says, lifting his hand to press his lips against the ring. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come hang out with me on twitter: [@helvellum](https://twitter.com/helvellum)


End file.
